Tag Archives: MV Rentals

April Stands for Osprey on Martha’s Vineyard

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Spring, April and the Ospreys are just around the corner – and we’re ready for them. Every year at this time, Felix Neck Sanctuary holds the Osprey Festival. Besides a craft tent, guided walks, live raptor demonstrations and live music, the main stage is really held by the Osprey. Everything at the festival is pointed towards learning about this incredible bird.

The Osprey, also known as the sea hawk, is a bird of prey or raptor. It’s quite large reaching 24 inches in length with a 6 foot wingspan! It’s also quite recognizable with a brown and white feathers patterned on its body and yellow eyes; most distinctive are its black eye patch and wings.

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The Osprey loves the Vineyard because its diet consists of fish, fish and more fish. They are expert hunters and have the beaks and talons to prove it – they’re sharp, dangerous and adept at capturing, killing and eating their prey.

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The Festival will be on April 4th, Saturday and starts at 11 am at Felix Neck.

These incredible photos came to me courtesy of Vineyard Photographer and Avian Artist, Lanny McDowell.

How about a muffin with that vacation rental?

One of the surprising things about social media and social networking is that while they’ve broadened my reach to a global audience and helped me connect with all kinds of people – they’ve also strengthened some of my bonds right here on Martha’s Vineyard.

Case in point, I’ve recently hooked up with Carol McManus, the owner of the Edgartown cafe, Espresso Love, and the author of the inspired Table Talk Cookbook: Food, Family, Love.

We both love the island so much, so we decided to figure out a way to share it with others together. So, if you book your vacation rental with me via this blog, you’ll receive an Espresso Love gift certificate. I’ll help you find the best vacation home, and Carol will keep you happy with muffins and coffee – and don’t be surprised if you spot someone famous while you’re sitting in her outdoor garden cafe…Espresso Love is a Clinton, De Niro, Huffington (and more) favorite!!!

Just mention this post when you call to book your Martha’s Vineyard trip, and I’ll make sure your gift certificate is waiting for you when you get here!__520espressolove

Why is it important to use an agent to book your vacation rental?

So, to recap, last week, when I was looking for a rental property off-island for myself, I couldn’t find one. I could only find a site that listed millions of properties – but didn’t offer an actual person up for customer service, for an inside look.

That just doesn’t work for me. It’s so important to be able to rent from a 3rd party, and I’ll tell you why. An agent:

  • …will have seen, personally, all of the houses that they list. They’ll be able to give you real details about size, feel, look, etc.
  • …has the ability to get a group of houses in the same area, say if you only want Lambert’s Cove – they can gather them all up.
  • …can be objective as a 3rd party and not the owner.
  • …customizes your search for you. Will know all of the houses that meet your exact needs.
  • …shares with you the benefits of geography of each of your rental choices (for example: This house has the perfect backyard, but it’s close to a main road).
  • …realistically tells you if some of your needs just aren’t possible and then can help you come up with a real solution.
  • …offers more choices.
  • …mediates if there is a disagreement or issue between the renter and the owner of the property in terms of security deposit, cleanliness, damage, etc…

I love the internet…but my process of trying to find a vacation rental, from the renters side, left me craving a real person that could really help me! Off to search some more…